Spinning in Opposite Directions
by Tyra Kaelar
Summary: Byakuya Kuchiki is a prodigy in the figure skating world. But one miscalculation at Nationals ends his career. Rather than give up skating, he decides to make the move to pairs skating. Now all that's left to do is find the perfect partner... *Slash*
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE: **_Spinning in Opposite Directions_

**AUTHOR: **_Tyra Kaelar_

**WARNING: **_Slash (Male/Male), AU, OOC_

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own anything from Bleach… I'm just playing with the characters! Obviously inspired by the Cutting Edge movies, lets just cover myself and say I don't own that either!_

**SUMMARY: **_Byakuya Kuchiki is a prodigy in the world of figure skating. Taking the skating world by storm since he was 16 years old he's at the top of his game. But one miscalculation at the Nationals and his singles career is ended. Now, rather than giving up skating, he'll be making the shift over to pairs. Now all that's left to do is find the perfect partner. Enter Ichigo Kurosaki, a hard core blader that follows the circuit. When the two meet, they immediately clash. Now the ultimate war is about to begin as they pair up and find out if this can be one of the best partnerships created, or the worst mistake either has ever made._

_NOTE: I am using the old 6.0 scoring system because I really couldn't understand the new one. I am working on lengthening my chapters so be patient with me please. And constructive criticism is always helpful!_

Prologue

"_This may be it. Only one more element to complete and Kuchiki may just walk away with the gold for this year's Nationals. The final combination is quite high in difficulty, a quadruple axel followed by a triple, but he's completed the combination cleanly in competition before. Here's the set up…"_

Down on the ice, Byakuya Kuchiki's world was narrowed down to one moment. One more combination completed successfully and he'd take the national gold for the second time. The feel of his blades cutting crisply into the ice, the wind rushing past him, the muted cheering of the crowd - everything seemed sharper. He readied himself for the jump, gathering the momentum and power needed for the quadruple. The moment hit and he pushed off strongly, glorying in the feel of flight, if only for a moment. Arms tucked tightly, he was already preparing for the landing and the next element, the triple. As the final rotation completed he brought his arms out and prepared to land it, determined to land it clean.

At the last second he realized he'd slightly miscalculated the angle. Not enough to affect the landing of the quadruple, but the triple…

_I will make it, _he growled, _I will not fail. Failure is not an option!_

As Byakuya landed the jump he was already gathering himself for the triple, ignoring the fact that his miscalculation had made it staggeringly difficult to complete the second element cleanly.

_I will not fail!_

He pushed off for the triple as hard as he could to compensate, feeling a slight strain in his knee as he did so. In the second rotation he could already feel his angle and timing was off but he was damned if he would give up now. As he prepared to land the triple, he hardened his resolve.

The seconds between the final rotation and the landing seemed to stretch endlessly, the world falling away. And then time sped up again as the ice rushed towards him.

The minute his blade hit the ice, he knew he'd miscalculated badly. He could feel the strain ripping through his knee as he fought to correct, his weight much too far forward, and increasing the strain on the knee exponentially - and when the weight of landing a jump increased by eight times the body weight regularly, even the slightest miscalculation could be damaging. Byakuya gritted his teeth against the pain, committing himself to the course of action he'd chosen. Seconds later his knee gave out, grinding painfully against cartilage, and he was sent crashing to the ice.

For a moment he lay on the ice stunned, his heart pounding in his ears as his knee screamed. Slowly the sound of the audience came back, worried murmurs reaching him. He slowly got up, favoring his right leg as he dragged himself upright. The minute he touched his right skate to the ice he had to choke back the scream that was clawing its way up his throat as black spots danced at the edge of his vision. He immediately brought his foot up off the ice, balancing on one blade as his coach hurried out onto the ice. He held back a sigh of relief as his coach reached him, slipping under his arm to support his weight as he slowly limped off the ice, the cheering of the crowd fading to a dull roar in his mind.

_I failed._

***************

Jushiro glanced at his skater worriedly as he helped him off the ice. Byakuya's face was expressionless to those who didn't know him, but Jushiro could see the clenching of his jaw that spoke of extreme pain and disappointment.

"We should get you to a hospital to have that ankle looked at," he said softly, knowing that Byakuya was probably going to object.

"No. Thank you. I would like to see my scores first." His voice was even more clipped than usual.

Jushiro nodded, knowing it was fruitless to argue. Byakuya wasn't going to budge. This was too important to him. He helped him slowly lower his weight to the bench while they waited for the scores, keeping an anxious eye on the knee. It was already very swollen after only a few minutes off the ice.

"_And the judges appear to have reached a decision. And hear are the scores. 5.5…5.4…5.2….5.3….5.4."_

The crowd was hushed as they waited for the total to be tallied. When the total flashed up onto the screen a collective groan seemed to fill the arena.

"_And it won't be enough to take home the gold. Kuchiki's fall will cost him, leaving him a few short points behind the leaders and taking home the bronze this year. __Ulquiorra Schiffer__ takes the gold and Jin Kariya the silver. "_

Byakuya let his forehead drop onto his laced hands, feeling the disappointment hit him like a fist in the gut.

_I was so close. Only a couple points away from gold. If only I'd landed that triple. With that and the last element the technical score alone would have given me the points I'd needed._

Byakuya gathered himself together. There was nothing he could do about it now. As he brought himself back to the present he couldn't help but notice the angry throbbing originating from him knee that was now _very _swollen. He frowned, anxiety creeping up on him slightly. He'd originally thought it was either a slight tear or a simple strain, but…

"Coach Ukitake, I think we'd best head to the nearest hospital now."

***************

Byakuya sat on the exam table, waiting for the doctor to get back with the MRI scan. Ukitake had left a little while ago to see if he could find some coffee, though knowing hospitals it was probably going to be worse than engine oil. If he'd been less disciplined, he'd have been fidgeting by now. He was brought abruptly out of his musings at the sound of the door opening. His doctor, followed by his coach, entered the room and he felt a chill run down his spine at the serious expressions both wore.

The doctor brought up the document on a laptop, before turning to face him.

"Now, Mr. Kuchiki, as you can see, the ligament is torn. Unfortunately, it was not as simple a tear as we'd hoped. The stress you placed on your knee, on top of the daily stress any figure skater places on those ligaments, resulted in a much more serious case. Not only was the MCL ligament torn, the ACL ligament was completely severed. That said, you have two options – you can rest the joint and see if it will heal naturally, or you can opt for surgery to reattach the ligaments. However, I must warn you that if you choose to let the ligaments heal naturally, only about 30% of patients ever gain back full range of motion. With surgery, you have a much higher chance of the ligaments healing and allowing you to return to competitive sports, though it comes with its own risks. There are the risks that are present with every surgery of course, no matter how minor."

Byakuya could feel the adrenaline racing through his veins as he tried to breathe steadily, knowing there was only one question he needed to ask.

"Assuming I have the surgery, what are the chances that I will I be able to compete at a national level?"

He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, his breathing picking up slightly as the doctor placed what was probably supposed to be a look of compassion on his face.

"The chances are much higher, assuming everything heals correctly. The main concern will be if the ligaments heal without too much scar tissue, which will weaken the ligaments and possibly restrict the range of motion you previously had." The doctor paused, "If everything heals correctly, you will be able to skate professionally on it. However, if the ligaments don't heal completely, they will most likely be too weak to take the rigorous demands that that level of competition will place on them, and will eventually result in them tearing again, possibly to the point where they won't heal enough to allow a normal range of motion."

Byakuya distantly heard the doctor leave the room, contemplating the choice he now had to make. _Choice? What choice? _He thought sarcastically. Skating was his entire life. _Competing _was his life! There was no option here.

"Ukitake, please schedule the surgery as soon as possible," Byakuya said lowly, refusing to contemplate that the ligaments wouldn't heal enough, even with the surgery. It wasn't an option. He would have the surgery, and he would be back on the ice in time for the next season.


	2. Chapter 2

**TITLE: **_Spinning in Opposite Directions_

**AUTHOR: **_Tyra Kaelar_

**WARNING: **_Slash (Male/Male), AU, OOC_

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own anything from Bleach… I'm just playing with the characters! Obviously inspired by the Cutting Edge movies, lets just cover myself and say I don't own that either!_

**SUMMARY: **_Byakuya Kuchiki is a prodigy in the world of figure skating. Taking the skating world by storm since he was 16 years old he's at the top of his game. But one miscalculation at the Nationals and his singles career is ended. Now, rather than giving up skating, he'll be making the shift over to pairs. Now all that's left to do is find the perfect partner. Enter Ichigo Kurosaki, a hard core blader that follows the circuit. When the two meet, they immediately clash. Now the ultimate war is about to begin as they pair up and find out if this can be one of the best partnerships created, or the worst mistake either has ever made._

_NOTE: I am using the old 6.0 scoring system because I really couldn't understand the new one. I am working on lengthening my chapters so be patient with me please. And constructive criticism is always helpful!_

**Author Note: **_The prologue has been edited and a few things changed for those who missed that. Thanks for the reviews everyone, particularly Ralenore, who pointed out that Byakuya probably wouldn't faint – I have to say that after I read that I agreed with you. SymphonyOfFireAndIce as well as you helped me avoid a plot hole – I had placed Aizen in singles but I realized when I read your review that I wanted him to be more important to the story than that which meant that he had to be a pairs skater. Cookies to anyone who guesses who his partner will be! Hope you enjoy the new chapter._

_As well, I know both Ichigo and Byakuya are OOC, they haven't had the same experiences so of course they are different, particularly Byakuya._

Chapter One

_Eight Months Later_

Byakuya knelt on the ice where he'd fallen, sweat coating his skin. His knee was throbbing, slight swelling already visible. It didn't seem to matter how many hours he put in, or the raw determination he felt – he was no longer able to land a simple quad without stumbling, never mind one of the more difficult combinations that had kept him at the top of the figure skating world. _This wasn't how it was supposed to go, _he thought viciously, slamming his fist on the ice before he regained control of himself. _The surgery was supposed to fix this! _He could still feel the touch of ice running down his spine as he recalled the follow up with the doctor three months ago…

_Byakuya sat on the examination table in the doctor's office, while Ukitake sat in one of the chairs against the wall. The surgery had gone well but the last five months had been torture, his movement restricted in order to assist in the ligaments healing. Byakuya brought his head up sharply at the doctors entrance, anticipation thrumming through his veins, but when he saw the solemn expression on the doctors face his heart skipped a beat. "Well?" he questioned, nerves making his voice curt. _

"_The ligaments have healed remarkably well considering the damage and you will have full range of motion," the doctor paused for a moment before soldiering on. "However, the ACL ligament, as you know, was extremely damaged. It is completely healed, but there is some scarring in the tissue. You won't know for sure until you've finished with physical therapy, but the scar tissue may affect the previous level of strength and flexibility your knee held. Depending on the amount, a career in competitive figure skating may no longer be possible."_

_Byakuya felt the shock slam into him before shaking it off. It was still a maybe, only a possibility. He'd finish the physiotherapy first, and damned if he wouldn't be doing quad combinations again for the next competitive season._

It hadn't mattered. He'd gotten through physiotherapy in record time, pushing himself to the limit constantly and often past it, but it had all been for naught. He might still be able to skate, but not well enough to compete at the top level of men's figure skating. _No! I won't accept that!_

Byakuya dragged himself to his feet, ignoring the throbbing of his knee. _I __will__ land a quad. I refuse to just accept this defeat! _He slowly began circling the perimeter of the rink, gaining the speed needed to throw his body into a quadruple axle, when a shout broke his concentration, causing him to stumble.

"Byakuya," Ukitake called sharply, his eyes immediately seeing the slight limp he carried as his knee protested its treatment. He frowned worriedly as his skater slowly moved towards him, coming to a stop in front of the boards. "Byakuya, you know what the doctor said. If you keep pushing that knee, you're going to damage it again, possibly beyond repair this time." He gentled his voice, seeing the refusal I his students face without a word being spoken. "I know you love skating, but if you keep pushing yourself like this you may not skate again, not just compete!"

"I can't just give up!" Byakuya burst out, his usually controlled demeanor vanished. "Skating is my life! To not be able to skate, to compete – what's the point?"

Ukitake stared calmly at his student, his strident question echoing in his mind. He knew how much Byakuya loved skating, and asking him to give it up…he thrived on competition, on pushing himself to be the best. Without that, he wouldn't be the person he was. There was no question that his career in singles was over, but maybe…

"Byakyua," Ukitake began slowly, "is it just competition you refuse to give up? Or is it competing in men's singles?"

"Ukitake?" Byakuya questioned, his voice uncertain.

"If it is only competition, there is another option. You have the choice to make the switch from singles to pairs. The jump elements aren't quite as demanding, so your knee would be able to take the strain."

Byakuya opened his mouth soundlessly before closing it again, uncertain as to how to respond. Pairs? He'd never considered pairs before. But then, he'd never had to. And right now, it appeared that his only options were either pairs or to give up competitive figure skating completely, something he was loath to do.

"I…I don't know," Byakuya replied, stumbling over the words.

Jushiro smiled kindly, resting a hand on Byakuya's shoulder. "Think about it, hmm? In the meantime, get off the ice and wrap that knee before you damage it permanently."

*****

Byakuya sat on the arena benches, oblivious to his surroundings, his leg stretched out in front of him with his knee wrapped tightly in an ace bandage. "Pairs," he whispered softly. He'd never before considered the option, and a part of him didn't really want to. Pairs meant less challenging combinations, it meant working with someone else, and most importantly it meant _depending_ on someone else. That, more than anything else, was what bothered him. To trust that your partner would do what needed to be done…it was so much easier to depend on yourself. He knew _he_ would do whatever it took, knew he had the skills and discipline, but to trust that someone else would do the same…_Hell, _Byakuya thought harshly, _that they can even keep up with me._

Over and over, he ran the arguments through his head, but every time he came to the same conclusion – if he wanted to compete, he would have to learn how to work with a partner in pairs. He slowly got to his feet, limping towards Ukitake's office. He knocked lightly on the door before poking his head in. He took a deep breath when Ukitake raised an eyebrow in question, resigning himself to the inevitable. "I would like to try competing in pairs."

Ukitake smiled, glad that his skater wasn't about to admit defeat, "Alright, we'll have some serious training ahead of us as there are several different elements you've never had to learn in singles, but more importantly, we need to find you a partner. We'll start auditioning next week. In the meantime you might want to start studying some pairs routines to see just what you should be expecting."

Byakuya nodded curtly, closing the door softly as he made his way towards the parking lot. _No turning back now._

*****

Try outs were hell. Byakuya clenched his jaw tightly as his 'partner' once again stumbled on landing a triple, throwing off their coordination. Not that it had been any good before that. This was only the fifth day and they'd already been through close to two dozen skaters and none of them even came close. On the first day, Byakuya had been slightly surprised when the first male skater had stepped on to the ice, but he'd quickly gotten over it. The point of this was to find the best partner possible, which meant ignoring any preconceived ideas of what he should be looking for. Unfortunately it hadn't made much difference at all. The young man, Kira, had actually been a good skater, but whenever Byakuya started challenging him, he'd backed off. He knew enough about pairs to know that he needed a partner who would step toe to toe with him. There had been a promising skater yesterday, a younger girl named Kiyone, but she wasn't at a high enough level yet to keep up with Byakuya. This morning he'd almost thrown in the towel when a woman named Matsumoto had tried out. A less disciplined person he'd yet to meet and he'd skated off the ice within minutes.

As he packed up his bag at the end of the day he could feel the doubt starting to eat away at him. Was this little more than a pipe dream? At this rate he was starting to doubt he would ever find a partner he could work with. He was startled out of his thoughts when his coach laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't start worrying about it yet, Byakuya. It's barely been a week. Sometimes it takes a while to find a partner you click with."

Byakuya nodded, trying to release the frustration knotting his shoulders.

"Alright," his coach said, dropping his hand, "why don't you head home and try to relax. We'll be auditioning five more skaters tomorrow."

Byakuya finished packing his duffle and threw it over his shoulder, heading out to his car. A short time later had him pulling into the drive of an old fashioned manor, one of the many lining the street. His parents had both come from money, and had been very successful in their chosen fields as well. They had been killed in a car accident when he was 18, it had been up to him to manage the family fortune and raise his younger sister, Rukia.

He quietly entered the front door, smiling faintly as he heard Rukia pounding down the stairs.

"Byakuya!" She called, leaping down the last few steps, "How were try outs?" She winced slightly when his expression went blank. "Not so good, huh? I know! Why don't you come with me to the skate park this evening?" She blushed slightly, looking down, "I'd like to introduce someone to you."

Byakuya glanced sharply at his sister, knowing she'd been crushing on someone for a while, something he wasn't too pleased about. He really wasn't looking forward to his baby sister dating, though she wasn't so little anymore. She'd be turning 17 in a couple of months.

"Please?" she begged, pouting her lower lip slightly.

Byakuya bit back the sigh that wanted to escape. And just when he admitted she was growing up she reverted back to a five year old. "Fine, just let me put my skate bag away and clean up a bit." _A skate park,_ he thought, shaking his head as he went upstairs. _Somehow this was not how I pictured my evening._

*****

Byakuya couldn't help wincing as he got out of the car, loud rock music filling the surrounding air. This was where Rukia had been hanging out lately? He held his tongue though as Rukia grabbed his hand, dragging him over to a crowded half pipe.

"They're probably over this way. Renji and Ichigo both compete on the x games circuit, so they pretty much live here during the off season."

Byakuya immediately noticed how Rukia's voice softened on the name Renji. _So that's who she likes._ "And what exactly do they 'compete' in?" he asked, distain resting lightly in his voice.

"Oh, well Renji bmx's, bikes I mean, and Ichigo is a skater. They're both pretty amazing though."

_A skater? Yeah right, _Byakuya thought contemptuously.

"Renji!" Rukia called, excitedly waving to get his attention.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes when he saw who waved back. A young man resting astride a bike, long red hair held back by a bandana and a ponytail, with tattoos running intricately up his arms and across his collar bone. This was who Rukia liked? It was unacceptable - he looked like a common street punk! He was about to tell Rukia they were heading home when Renji called back.

"Hey Rukia, you're just in time to see Ichigo make his run. Apparently he's got something new planned."

"Awesome! Wait until you see this Byakuya, Ichigo's amazing!" Rukia said, dragging him over to Renji.

"Who's this, Rukia," Renji asked, eyeing Byakuya warily.

"Oh," she blushed slightly, "Renji, this is my big brother Byakuya. Byakuya, this is my friend Renji."

Byakuya nodded curtly, wishing he hadn't agreed to this. Before he could voice his disapproval, someone yelled out.

"Hey Pineapple! You better be taking notes on this!"

Both Renji and Rukia turned, looking towards the top of the half pipe where another young man stood, wearing blades and a helmet.

"And what am I supposed to be taking notes on, Strawberry?" Renji yelled back, smiling mischievously, "How to crash and burn?"

Renji and Rukia burst out laughing when the young man flipped him the bird.

"That's Ichigo," Rukia said, leaning towards Byakuya. "He and Renji have been best friends since kindergarten."

_Lovely, _he thought sarcastically. He grudgingly paid attention when Rukia nudged him in the ribs, practically dancing in excitement. Seconds later he had to lock his jaw to keep it from dropping when Ichigo preformed what seemed like an impossible flip off the top of the half pipe before landing on the downward slope.

*****

When Ichigo finally came to a stop at the top of the half pipe, Byakuya had to admit he was slightly impressed. _Not _that he would admit it aloud. He found himself standing silently as he watched Rukia and Renij interact.

"Yo, Renji!"

A shout right behind him startled Byakuya, as he pivoted slightly to face the approaching person, a young man with brilliant orange hair, slightly flattened with sweat.

"Hey Rukia, did you catch the run? Who's the stuffed shirt, by the way?" Ichigo asked, jerking a thumb in Byakuya's direction.

Byakuya stiffened, scowling slightly at the insult. "I am Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia's elder brother," he said cooly, "And you are?" he asked, making it clear that Ichigo was so far beneath him that he didn't really care if he answered. He bit back a smirk when he saw how easy it was to get under the redhead's skin.

"Ichigo Kurosaki"

"Ah, the…skater that was just on the half pipe." Byakuya was aware that Rukia was watching him in total disbelief as he purposefully needled this guy, but there was just something about him that made Byakuya want to see just how far he could push him.

"And what do you mean by that?" Ichigo scowled ferociously.

"Oh, I suppose it was flashy enough, but it lacked finesse."

"Finesse! What the hell do you mean by that?" Ichigo turned to Renji, arms waving in agitation, "Finesse? Tell me I'm not hearing this! And how would you know anyway?" he asked harshly, turning back towards Byakuya.

Rukia didn't muffle her laughter in time and he spun, glaring, to face her. She tried to clear her expression but Ichigo could still hear the laughter in her voice when she answered him. "Byakuya is a nationally ranked figure skater. He placed in the medals at Nationals the last four years, taking home the gold the year before last."

"Figure skating," Ichigo sneered, "Oh yeah, that's _real_ impressive. Anyone can figure skate."

Byakuya couldn't ignore the flash of temper that sizzled through him. The years and infinite hours he'd put into training. Not impressive? Well, they'd just have to see about that. "If you truly feel that way, how about a little challenge? Meet me tomorrow at the rink and we'll see if you can back up those words. Rukia," Byakuya gestured impatiently, "let's go."

Rukia trailed after her brother in a daze. He _never_ lost his cool like that! He was the most self contained person she knew and he's just challenged Ichigo to a…a….a…a skate off! She couldn't help but worry about Ichigo slightly. As amazing as he was on in-line skates, her brother was one of the best figure skaters in the country even after his injury. He wouldn't stand a chance. But as she slid into the passenger side of the jeep, she couldn't help but remember that Renji hadn't seemed worried at all, just grinning slyly as if he knew a secret no one else did.

*****

"Finesse," Ichigo muttered as he stalked up the drive of his house. "Finesse! How dare he say it lacked finesse. That pompous…arrogant…argh!" He screamed in frustration as he stormed through the front door.

"My darling baby boy," his father wailed, ambushing him as he wrapped him in a bone breaking hug, "Tell Daddy all about it."

Ichigo growled, slamming his fist into his father's jaw, "Get off me old man."

"Oh Masaki, our boy has become so strong!"

Ichigo shuddered before quickly leaving his father to his theatrics. "Karin," he yelled, calling for his sister as he headed up the stairs to his room.

"Jeez Ichi, you don't have to scream," Karin said as she opened her door right across from his. "What's the emergency?"

Ichigo could feel his temper rising again. "This pompous jackass at the park decided my skating lacked 'finesse.' He obviously felt that in-line skating wasn't _real _skating. One thing led to another and the jerk challenged me to a figure skating competition. Oh if he only knew! I want to blow this guy out of the water, and I need you to pick out my choreography music. You've always had a flair for that."

Karin's face didn't show it, but she was more than a little shocked. Who was this guy who'd gotten Ichigo so riled up that he was going to voluntarily skate for someone outside the family, in something that was almost a competition!

She remembered when Ichigo was younger; he'd spent every waking minute on the ice. He'd loved it more than anything in the world, partly because he'd been able to spend time with their mother as she introduced him to the sport she had loved as well.

Their parents had been a world ranked pair, and had not only taken the gold at nationals 3 times, they'd won the silver medal at the 1990 Olympics. When she had died of cancer, the entire family had been devastated and Ichigo had given up competitive figure skating, no longer wanting to do something he had shared so deeply with her. But their mother had already rooted the love of skating in his heart so he chose to pursue in-line skating on the x games circuit instead. Then her twin sister Yuzu had decided to pursue pairs figure skating when she was 9. Rather than trust someone else to partner her at the beginning, Ichigo had gotten back on the ice for her, learning the ropes so that she could learn pairs with a partner she could trust. Even after she had found a permanent partner, Ichigo had continued practicing with her and skating in his off time, even though he still refused to compete.

And now someone had been able to rile her brother enough that he'd agreed to compete against them. She grinned just thinking about it. Her brother may not have dedicated his life to figure skating, but he'd always had a huge amount of natural talent and power. The person who'd challenged him may have gotten more than they'd bargained for. She suddenly stopped paging through one of her playlists when she saw the highlighted song – it would be perfect. And there was no way she was going to miss this show down.

*****

Byakuya leaned against the boards of a deserted arena the next morning, wondering if Kurosaki would even show up. Hell, if he even had ice skates to take up the challenge with.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rukia asked from where she sat on one of the benches, worry creasing her brow.

"It's fine," Byakuya replied calmly, "I'll be surprised if he even shows."

The sound of the heavy arena doors opening had them both turning to face the entrance where Ichigo and a younger girl were entering. Byakuya was surprised to see a worn skate bag hanging off Kurosaki's shoulder. Still…

Ichigo smirked when he caught sight of Byakuya. _Oh, you really shouldn't be that relaxed, _he thought smugly, _you might be good but I'm no amateur. _"So how do you want to do this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when he reached Byakuya.

Byakuya wanted to laugh at the arrogance this punk skater was showing. _He speaks like he has a chance!_ "We will each perform a routine and these two can impartially judge," he said, gesturing to Rukia and Karin.

"So you're the guy who challenged my brother, huh?" Karin stepped forward, smirking. "I'm Karin. Mind telling me where I hook up the music?" she asked, holding up a silver iPod.

Byakuya nodded regally. "This way," he said, heading towards Ukitake's office.

"Ichigo, don't do this!" Rukia burst out once her brother was out of hearing range. "You'll never be able to beat my brother. He's been doing this his entire life!"

Ichigo just calmly smirked as he unzipped his bag and pulled out a pair of worn figure skates, lacing them up with the ease of someone who had done this a thousand times before. "Rukia, I may not be able to beat him, but I can sure as hell show him up."

Rukia opened her mouth to protest, but quickly clamped it shut again when she saw her brother leaving the office.

"Your sister's all set up. If you'd like to begin?" Byakuya asked coolly.

Ichigo scowled slightly as stepped on to the ice. He'd warmed up before heading over here, but he made a few laps around the ice as he stretched out his muscles again while getting a feel for the rink. After another couple of laps, he lazily headed to the center of the rink and slid to a stop. "Alright Karin," Ichigo yelled, "let it rip!"

Rukia watched, puzzled, as Ichigo stepped out onto the ice without a single bobble. He skirted the rink with the same fluidity and confidence he showed on in-line skates. She raised her eyebrows in shock when Ichigo lifted first one leg then the other completely parallel with his body without ever once looking like it was a struggle. She was definitely missing something here.

As the first heavy bass chords hit the air, Byakuya couldn't help wincing. Of course it was rock.

_Who's to know if your soul will fade at all_

_The one you sold to fool the world_

_You lost your self esteem along the way_

As Ichigo started with a simple step sequence, Rukia couldn't help admitting he moved well on the ice, but that wasn't going to be near enough to challenge her brother. The next second the song's beat exploded and she bit back a gasp.

_Good god you're coming up with reasons_

_Good god you're dragging it out_

_Good god it's the changing of the seasons_

_I feel so raped_

_So follow me down_

He'd just cleanly completed a triple followed by a double Lutz and then gone into a sit spin. She jumped when Karin spoke up from behind her.

"There's a lot you don't know about Ichi-nii. This is hardly difficult for him. You thought figure skating would be a challenge for him, even with his experience in in-line skating, but how do you know that in-line skating came first?" Karin smiled softly as Ichigo changed positions as he continued to spin, a slight smile edging his features. "I do believe I'm going to have to thank your brother for goading my brother back onto the ice for himself," she commented.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow at the combination. _He can actually skate, _he thought, almost shocked. Still, his position wasn't tight enough in the air and while he had amazing height on his jumps, Byakuya could tell it came more from power and natural talent rather than training and, Byakuya paused, smirking, finesse.

_And you should know that the lies won't_

_Hide your flaws_

_No sense in hiding all of yours_

_You gave up on your dreams along the way_

_Yeah_

Ichigo set up for the next jump, feeling the excitement and adrenaline pounding through his veins. God he'd missed this. He skated with Yuzu, but he never really had to challenge himself when he skated with her. But pushing your own boundaries doing something you loved, Ichigo was convinced there was no better drug. He had planned on finishing this with a simple triple, but now…he pushed powerfully against the ice, gaining the momentum he needed, before he set up and entered a triple axel. Before he landed he was already calculating his take off for a triple Lutz. Skates hit the ice and he could feel his heart pounding as he pushed off again. Time seemed to stand still as he hung suspended in the air. As the ice came up to meet him, Ichigo set his jaw, determined to land the combination cleanly. As his skates cut into the ice with nary a stumble, he could feel the adrenaline kick even higher, making him feel like he could conquer the world.

_I can fake it with the best of anyone_

_I can fake it with the best of them all_

_I can fake it with the best of anyone_

_I can fake it all_

Ichigo couldn't help throwing in a simple back flip as the chorus rang out one last time before letting the song play out to simple step sequences. He slid to a sharp stop in the center on the rink, digging in a toe pick. "Well," he said challengingly, grinning at Byakuya, "Let's see you top that."

Byakuya smirked, stepping onto the ice, confidence radiating in his carriage. As he made his way towards Ichigo, the next song on the playlist began pounding over the speakers, and he couldn't help but feel the challenge start heating up his blood. He arched an eyebrow at the redhead that still stood in the center of the rink, wordlessly challenging him to keep up.

_Well you think that you can take me on  
You must be crazy  
There ain't a single thing you've done  
Is gonna phase me_

Byakuya started skating backwards, away from Ichigo, still silently challenging him to match him. He couldn't help but grin as the redhead followed his lead, challenge burning bright in his gaze. He quickly set up for a triple axel, waiting for the beat of the song to kick up and grinned sharply when he saw Ichigo recognize his position and follow.

_Oh, but if you want to have a go  
I just want to let you know  
Yeah,Get off my back and into my game  
Get out of my way and out of my brain  
Get outta my face or give it your best shot  
I think it's time you better face the fact  
Get off my back_

Both of them completed the triple axel in time, though Byakuya couldn't help smugly commenting, "Better tighten up that axel if you want to keep up with me, Kurosaki." He almost laughed aloud at the glare the redhead sent him. He easily went into a camel spin, smoothly shifting into a sit spin, watching as Ichigo followed his movements a couple beats after him.

_You know it's all just a game that I'm playing  
You think that you can't find a way in  
Is what I'm saying  
Oh if you want to have a go  
I just want to let you know... Oh  
_

Ichigo could feel him heart pounding as he challenged Byakuya. It was amazing! Each step pushed him harder and harder to keep up, pushing him to his absolute limit. Not that he'd ever admit it, but this guy was _good, _more than good enough to deserve the title of national champion. He grinned challengingly as Byakuya began a step sequence and he started mirroring it, almost going toe to toe before he backed away, heading towards the other end of the rink as the sequence continued. He smirked at Byakuya, and wanted to laugh when he saw the same challenge burning in his eyes. _God, I'd forgotten how amazing this feels, going toe to toe with someone just as good as you are and pushing yourself to be even better._

_Oh, but if you want to have a go  
I just want to let you know  
Get Off  
Get off yeah  
Oh get off, get off, get off,get off, get off,  
get off, get off  
Get off of my back_

Byakuya came to a halt in the center of the rink with Kurosaki standing less than a foot away, both of their chests heaving with exertion. He could see the same challenge and adrenaline lighting his golden brown gaze, neither of them willing to back down and admit the other the victor. Their gaze was broken abruptly by the sound of someone clapping from the side of the rink.

"Coach Ukitake?" Byakuya asked, faintly puzzled as to why his coach was here. He glanced back at Ichigo and realized suddenly how close they were standing. He stepped back before heading over to his coach. "What are you doing here?"

"I came into the office early to get some paper work done and ended up seeing quite the show."

Byakuya flushed slightly, "Sorry about that, Coach Ukitake."

"Oh, no worries Byakuya. It was quite a show. The two of you were making quite a few sparks out there." He glanced over at the other boy who was still standing at the center of the rink, getting his breath back. "And you are?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki, sir. Sorry for borrowing the ice without permission."

"It's fine," Ukitake said gently, his forehead slightly furrowed in thought. "Kurosaki? Your parents wouldn't happen to be Masaki and Issin Kurosaki would they?"

Ichigo winced slightly, knowing what was coming. "Yes, that would be them."

Byakuya glanced at his coach curiously when that seemed to answer something for him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"His parents were a world class pair in figure skating. They took the silver in the 1990 Olympics. I'm not surprised to see that they passed the talent on. If I'm not mistaken, your sister is starting to make a stir in the lower levels of pairs right now as well," he said, glancing over at Ichigo again.

"Yes, she's been competing in pairs with her partner Jinta Hanakari. I help her train when I have time."

Ukitake nodded gently. "Well, Byakuya, Ichigo, if neither of you have any objections, I do believe you've found your partner Byakuya. I've rarely seen such an instant connection between partners. Trained, the two of you ought to make a formidable team." He smiled, waiting for the outburst.

There was a pause as the two skaters stared at him in incomprehension…

"WHAT?!"

*****

* Fake It By Seether, followed by Get Off My Back By Bryan Adams


End file.
